It's slightly mind-boggling to think that All-New X-Men launched exactly two months ago and we're already seeing the start of Brian Michael Bendis' second full-length story arc. Unfortunately, one side effect of the frantic shipping schedule is that even the supernaturally speedy Stuart Immonen needs a break. David Marquez steps in to kick off this new storyline. And as anyone who's been reading Ultimate Spider-Man lately will testify, that book's loss is All-New X-Men's gain.
Marquez is a perfect choice for this very dialogue-focused issue. He excels with facial work, able to convey plenty of emotion without a surplus of lines. In one early scene, Kitty describes 15-year-old Jean Grey as "baby-faced." Many pencillers would have simply rendered Jean with the same angular, attractive facial features that all of their superheroes possess. But with Marquez bringing the script to life, the description is actually reflected in the art. Marquez also shows a flair for action. A sparring match between Wolverine and young Cyclops results in one of the most visually bedazzling panels I've seen from a Marvel book in recent memory. Only one set of pages falters in terms of storytelling. Marquez inserts a shot of Storm into the middle of a two-page stretch of small panels, and her placement kills the sequential flow.
As for the story, Bendis delivers a slightly quieter installment this time around. The issue is largely focused on the efforts of three of the time-displaced X-Men (Jean, Scott, and Warren) to acclimate to their new reality. Through it all, the strong characterization carries the book forward. I never realized how much I missed Jean's presence in the X-books until these most recent two issues. As one of the less important characters in the first arc, young Warren receives some much-needed attention alongside his older self. But perhaps the highlight of this issue is Cyclops, who seems to be taking their new predicament the hardest. A shot of Scott walking into a tense, silent cafeteria full of gawking students says it all. And it's hilarious to see Scott and Logan fall so quickly into a reversed version of their old dysfunctional dynamic.
There is a bit of forced humor as Bendis pokes fun at the differences between Scott's time period and our own. Based on the rolling Marvel timeline, these characters were probably living in the late '90s when they were pulled forward, if not even later than that. The script exaggerates the culture shock of seeing things like overpriced magazines and bottled water. If Bendis wants to go that route, I'd rather see the teens complain about the death of alternative rock or something else worth lampooning.
Even the temporary (I hope) loss of Immonen can't prevent this new series from firing on all cylinders. Bendis is weaving a very engaging tale that celebrates the long history of the X-Men while also managing to appeal to people who have no prior attachment to the characters.
Jesse is a writer for various IGN channels. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter, or Kicksplode on MyIGN.
Source : ign[dot]com
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